Santana solid; Beltran really can't run
That about sums it up, Mets fans, after today's 1-1 tie with the visiting Red Sox at Tradition Field. Rejoice in the fact that Johan Santana gets better with each start and today was a perfect example: four scoreless innings, two hits, four strikeouts, zero walks. His fastball maxed out at 92 mph and his changeup, dipping as low as 79, resulted in plenty of swings and misses.
As for Carlos Beltran, who made his debut as the DH, he remains a work in progress. Beltran went 0-for-3, grounding into a double play, and told reporters afterward that his left knee is feeling sore. Not the sharp pain of a year ago, but it seems that his knee is absorbing too much of the pounding lately due to his weak left quadriceps muscle.
"I felt a little weird being out there for the first time," Beltran said. As for his biggest concern about returning to the outfield, he added, "Just running. Every time I've got to run for the ball, and I've got to stop and turn, I don't feel confident right now. I can do it in practice, but in a game, you just react, and I don't feel confident."
Carlos Delgado also made his first start since a March 1 anti-inflammatory injection for his sore right hip, and looked OK in the field. At the plate, however, he showed some rust. Delgado was 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts, but was pleased to at least be in the lineup again.
"No results," Delgado said, "but it was good."
Here is the boxscore from today's game.
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Comments (10)
Just wondering if the Mets have explained why, six months after their surgeries, Beltran and Castillo are still very much works-in-progress?
Roberto, now, I understand you're probably pretty naive to the way surgeries and recoveries work, so i'll spare you on that, but complaining about it while being naive about it is another thing, if you don't know anything about it, why make a comment like you do? Beltran had dual knee surgeries, both knees, got it? He couldn't start a normal rehab schedule as soon as you would with one knee surgery because BOTH knees were out of comission. He had to wait to gain enough strength in both to even start a proper rehab program. Now, after that waiting, his quad muscles have become atrophied, they're not strong. He has to build those up and continue working his knees. That is why it's taking so long. It's very normal for dual knee surgeries to take much longer to rehab form then just one knee surgery. But you know that didn't you?
David,
since no one likes a tie how about after the 9 innings a one player per team 5 pitches hr derby and that decides the winner in spring training games.
It's about time Beltran took a lesson from the Islanders' Brendan Witt regarding playing even if you're not 100 percent. Now, I know baseball and hockey players are apples and oranges when it comes to pain threshold, but sometimes you just have to SUCK IT UP!
You are such an Idiot NYMB31...lets see you play after having double knee surgery. I believe Beltran Played with bad knees all last year so your comment is really retarded. BTW the Islanders Suck.
saying Beltran doesn't play hurt is ridiculous, the guy played hurt for most of the year last year, he plays hurt all the time and puts his body on the line for this team in the outfield on a regular basis. Respect for Beltran is needed around here for mets fans, in fact, its embarrassing how little respect Mets fans show him. When i mention that to friends who are fans of other teams, they just have a quizzical look on their face, as to say, Met fans are worried about Beltran? We wish that was our worry...
I've had ACL replacement surgery, and what Beltran had done isn't even a major operation. They cleaned out some loose material. I have a 5" scar, 2 Titanium screws, and part of my patellor tendon and knee cap is my new ACL. I see little reason why he can't do more this spring. He has a reputation for being a candya-s. If he feels just a little sore, has a bump, or a little bruise, he has a habit of taking a week off during the season. He's a wimp. Always has been, and always will be. That's why he hides in the shadows of the club house, instead of being a leader of this team. Valentin had major knee surgery, and he's playing the field and running the bases. Too bad Carlos doesn't have the heart of Valentin. Then the Mets would truely be a weapon of mass destruction in the baseball world.
metsfan, kindly understand this: I have considerable experience with knee injuries and more after 10+ seasons of covering MLB, and Dan The Mets Fan's views are much more on target regarding Beltran.
Dan, you raised an excellent point: what Valentin had done was indeed a major procedure. But he's got the pepper, as my dad used the say. No one can say that about Beltran, at least not yet.
I should also note that unlike Beltran, Valentin has proven to be a leader in the clubhouse. He's the one responcible for keeping Reyes focused in '06. When he got hurt and wasn't around, Reyes started his downward slide last year.
And to futher my point about knee surgery, I also have most of the Cartilledge missing in the same knee as my ACL replacement. I don't limp, and I can stop and start while jogging or playing basketball. So what's Beltran's excuse?
Matt, HR derby to decide a ST game? Thats about as dumb an idea as having shootouts decide hockey games. hmm...
I'm not as worried about Delgado, Lester was about as tough a guy Delgado could have picked to come back against. And that last K was an excellent on the up and in corner fastball. Give him a few days and a pitcher who isnt throwing no hit stuff and then maybe we'll be able to judge him.